The present invention relates generally to backpacks, and more particularly to a collapsible child carrier assembly for use in carrying a child or infant on the back of an adult and including a collapsible support frame which, when actuated or folded to its collapsed state, causes the carrier assembly to assume an extremely small profile which enhances its portability and ease of storage.
There is currently known in the prior art a wide variety of backpack-type child carriers which are used to allow an infant or small child to be carried upon the chest or back of an adult. Some of these prior art child carriers include a frame structure which may be reconfigured from a child backpack to a child seat which may be rested upon a generally flat surface (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,609,279 and 5,676,287) or to a high chair which may be mounted to a table (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,400). Other prior art child carriers include a frame structure which is selectively convertible from a child backpack to either a child seat which is adapted to be rested upon a flat surface or a high chair which is adapted to be mounted to a table (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,651). Additionally, there is at least one prior art child carrier wherein the frame structure thereof is adapted to be reconfigured from a child backpack into a stroller (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,339).
Though each of the above-described child carriers includes a collapsible frame structure which may be selectively reconfigured to accomplish more than one function, the configuration of such frame structures and the number and size of the components included therein does not allow for the collapse of the child carrier into an extremely small profile as is best suited for portability and ease of storage. Though U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,287 (the "'287 patent") discloses a frame structure which may be collapsed to a relatively small profile, such frame structure possesses certain deficiencies which detract from its overall utility.
More particularly, the upper support assembly of the frame structure described in the '287 patent is susceptible to an accidental collapse due to the manner in which it is integrated into the frame structure and normally maintained in its extended, uncollapsed state. In this respect, the upper support assembly is maintained in its extended state by a biasing force normally exerted by a retention mechanism associated therewith. However, this biasing force may be easily overcome by applying only a modest amount of pulling force to the upper support assembly, thus disengaging the retention mechanism and resulting in the collapse of the upper support assembly. The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art child carriers, and in particular the child carrier described in the '287 patent, by providing a collapsible child carrier assembly which may be used in carrying a small child or infant on the back of an adult, and includes a support frame which may be selectively reconfigured to allow the carrier assembly to be used as a child seat by resting the same upon a generally flat or planar support surface. The present carrier assembly is collapsible to an extremely small profile, yet includes a hinge mechanism which is specifically configured to substantially reduce the susceptibility of the top support bar of the support frame to an accidental collapse.